RAILWAY ARTISTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 679, 3 June 1929, Page 11

RAILWAY ARTISTS

LAD’S GREAT PICTURE FREE STUDY GIFT A picture by a vau-bov, who is described as "a genius in the making.” is among the works at the exhibition ot arts and crafts of the employees of the G.W.K., opened at Paddington Station recently by Sir Felix Pole. He is William F. Gall, 17, employed at Paddington, and his picture, “The Song of the Dove,” represents a gipsy j woman playing a mandoline, surrounded by her small family. So highly regarded is his talent that Professor Rothenstein, principal of the Royal College of Art, is giving him a course of study at the college. A striking tribute to the young artist’s work was paid by Sir F.elix Pole. The adjudicators, he said, were deeply impressed. They considered that he had obviously the basis of a great artistic gift. Sir Felix added that it would be fitting if the name of the Great Western F.aiiway could be associated with the lid's education as an artist. Gall, who was awarded a silver medal for his picture, said yesterday that he painted it from a photograph in a newspaper. “I took the original as a rough draft,” he said, “and left out things 1 did not like and put in others from my own imagination. “If I am allowed to take this course at the college, it would be the most, wonderful thing I could wish for.” The head of a woman, painted by Mr. 1.. D. Green, a Paddington railway employee, is another fine piece of work, while AVilfrid Adams, a dock porter at Cardiff, has sent in some admirable oil, watercolour and black and white subjects. A black and white study—“ln the Cloisters, Chester Cathedral”—by AVilliam Robert Boyd, a goods porter at Chester, has already secured Boyd a commission to illustrate a book of old buildings. A rising Stradivarius is said to have been found at Penzance in Mr. A. Coad, a railway signalman, who has made and is showing what is regarded as a violin of the finest quality and tone. He obtained the principal award, a gold medal.